Vision Statement Tool

Creating a clear vision for your makerspace or maker program is the first step in supporting learning. The Vision Statement Tool aims to surface the goal(s) of your makerspace or maker activities as a learning environment or program. As a tool, it helps to scaffold the work of building a coherent message. It is important to note that a Vision Statement is a living document that will evolve over time.

The goal of the activity is to create a succinct vision statement for your makerspace. The vision statement tool enables participants to form something akin to an “elevator pitch.” Therefore, try to identify an audience (the person stuck in the elevator with you). Is it a parent? Community member? Board member? Manager? While it is assumed that by the end of this activity, or the week, your organization’s maker-based vision statement may not be in a final form, the activity is intended to help you take the first important steps to forming a single statement that reflects many of the core priorities for your makerspace or maker programs.

How To Use The Vision Statement Tool

This activity may take about 2-3 hours to thoroughly complete. All of the activities in this course are intended for a group, but most can be adapted if you are working by yourself.

Getting Started

In this activity, you’ll work through each prompt one at a time. Participants should take about five minutes to write down words, phrases or sentences that emerge from each prompt, and then another five minutes discussing highlights as a group before moving on to the next prompt. In addition to the stimulus questions included on the vision statemet tool, you can view the ‘Activity Prompt’ tab on the left for additional questions to generate ideas.

Developing a Pitch

Once your group has completed the Vision Statement sheet and made notes under each prompt, you should work to combine each individual statement into a single statement for the group. Read (or have members of your team) read the vision statement aloud and make refinements. If possible, video record one or more people reciting the statement, like an “elevator pitch.” Think about who your audience might be for such a pitch beforehand, and try to limit your pitch to a minute or two.

Afterwards

Consider some of these questions:

What were some takeaways from the process for you (individually or as a group)?

What was challenging about this process?

Which prompt was the most challenging to address? What was the easiest?

Revisit this statement and the prompts from time to time as a way to evaluate its relevance for your work related to making.